


A Heart Held Hostage

by lockewrites



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 08:45:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16971450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockewrites/pseuds/lockewrites
Summary: Waiting for the right time to tell someone how you feel isn't the best thing to do. And ending up in dangerous situations is what places it all into perspective.





	A Heart Held Hostage

Having Donald Cragen as your Uncle meant you had grown up around cops for most of your life. It also meant that you couldn’t imagine doing anything else other than joining SVU when you could. It was hard work, both trying to convince your mother you’d be fine and trying to get a spot on the squad. But finally here you were, standing in the squad room for the first time as a member of SVU, and at only 23. Quite an accomplishment if you said so yourself.

It wasn’t anything new, you’d met everyone before. What was new was the abruptness with which you got put on a new case. You hadn’t expected Uncle Donald to throw you a bone and let you take it easy for the first few days, but you hadn’t expected your first case to be a child case.

You’d been partnered up with John Munch, who you had conversed with on multiple occasions. Mainly topics consisting of conspiracy theories, not that you were a believer, just intrigued. A friendship had developed between the two of you, one that led to an easygoing partnership.

It was a fairly easy operation for your first case, nothing went wrong, the suspect was arrested and brought in for interrogation. But the things talked about in during interrogation were the things that sickened you. It was SVU, terrible things were seen everyday but you hadn’t anticipated such a grueling case on your first day.

At the end of the day the only thing you wanted to do was get drunk and forget about everything. Munch had other plans, insisting on the two of you heading out to dinner and talking about the case. And so you did. Which turned into conversations about life and childhood. You were pretty sure he had told you things not even Fin knew.

A ritual had since developed after that case. Anytime one of you had a difficult time with a certain case, you’d talk over dinner. The next time was after a girl had been assaulted and murdered because she stood up to her abuser. After that it was a case about striking fear into the disobedient. Eventually the dinners began happening without any case.

Neither one of you had brought it up but both of you knew it was there, an attraction. He hadn’t acted on it because of the age gap, you, because of scheduling conflicts. No longer being such a fresh-faced member of the squad meant you were relied on for a lot more. This also meant switching up partners. One part of you suspected it was because Uncle Donald was recognizing the attraction between you and Munch. After all, even Fin had made a comment or two about it as of late.

It wasn’t like you hadn’t tried to find the time to act on it. The last time you two were alone together you had pulled him down to your height and kissed him. Quiet fell over the room when you pulled apart. He quickly told you it wouldn’t work, that you shouldn’t want someone like him. So jaded, disillusioned with the world. Convincing him you wanted this, a relationship, was not something you were bound to do. If he stated he didn’t want a relationship with you, than you would fight against your attraction.  
But know you weren’t thinking about what could have been, but what will be. It was just your luck to have wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time. While running errands on your day off you’d walked into a bar to meet with friends. Turns out the bar was a front for a sex trafficking ring and was being investigating. The owner knew, he also knew he was being watched by agents undercover. To say he wasn’t pleased was an understatement.

In a flash a gun was pulled and you became a hostage. Of course it would happen to you. At least it gave you plenty of time to contemplate the future of your relationship with Munch. You swore if you got out of this situation alive you wouldn’t hesitate to tell him the truth. That as much as you tried to deny your feelings, you couldn’t. You wanted a relationship with him and wouldn’t take no for an answer, insecurities about the age gap be damned.

You hadn’t been prepared though, for cops to come busting through the door of the bar and arrest the gunman. Nor had you been prepared for SVU to be at the scene. Before you could head over to the squad, you needed to be checked by medics. Arguing that you were fine and hadn’t been injured seemed to do no good. 

Munch, it seemed, wouldn’t wait until the medics were done with you and pushed past to where you were sat on the ambulance.

“So, how’s your day been?” It really was the only thing you could think to say at that moment.

“You were in a hostage situation and you’re asking me how my day went”

“Well, they think I’m in shock so I’m going to play shock victim”

“I will never understand you.”

“This coming from the man whose main topic of conversation with me is conspiracy theories.”

“You enjoy those conversations.”

“Let’s have one know. Why do we keep skirting past the mutual attraction.” What better time to have this conversation than now/

“We’ve talked about this before.” he was getting defensive, something that rarely ever happened around you.

“No, you may have talked about it, may have said it’s because of the difficult schedules or the age gap, but I’ve said nothing. I don’t care about those things John. I care about you and I want to be with you.”

“But”  
“No buts John. I’m going to kiss you now because I’m alive and very grateful for that fact.

And you did, smiling into the kiss when he pulled you to him. Walking back to the squad he wrapped an arm around your waist, a signal that he was ready for this relationship to move ahead.

Cragen handed Fin 10 bucks.

“Told you they had a thing for each other” Fin spoke, pocketing the money.

“Yeah, but you’re not the one who has to tell his sister to possibly expect John Munch as a new member of the family”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr @locke-writes


End file.
